A "Schengen" Agreement in Africa? African Agency and the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement

Established in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was conceived, primarily to facilitate free trade and movement of persons, goods and services within the sub-region. Although preceding the lauded Schengen Treaty which created a single external border for the European Union (EU) in 1985, the ECOWAS Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons and Goods established in 1979 aimed to convert borders from walls into "bridges". This paper examines the implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol by member states in order to establish whether the Protocol has strengthened or flagged the porosity of West African borders. In addition, the study explores the recurring challenges that impede the successful implementation of the Protocol as an expression of Africa's agency for regional integration. The authors conclude with suggestions on what is required to address these impediments to pave the way for the fulfillment of ECOWAS' aspiration of an open border system.